29.10.2013

Kalmar extends STS cranes

Kalmar has installed boom extensions on two ship-to-shore cranes operated by Terminales Rio de la Plata (TRP) at the Port of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The project took seven months to complete, and were returned to work well within the original year-end target.

TRP, a DP World Container Terminal business, currently handles 800,000 TEU (20ft container equivalents) a year and is gearing up for the arrival of substantially larger container vessels, some with capacities of up to 18,000 TEU. This required the geometry of the crane’s booms to be adapted and extended from 45 to 51 metres.

Kalmar provided a turnkey operation, starting with planning of detail engineering to the critical technical specifications. Its specialist crane services team in Argentina also coordinated the subcontracting and quality inspections of the entire production and assembly procedures. The process required the decommissioning of cranes in their original location and transportation to a separate construction site, where the trolley and gantry components were removed, allowing the boom to be disassembled.
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Roman's Liebherr LR1600/2 lifts an extended boom back into position

Extension of the boom was then undertaken at ground level which involved the welding of new interfaces, magnetic particle and ultrasonic testing inspections to confirm structural integrity and, finally, the reassembly of all the components using a 600 tonne Liebherr LR1600/2 crawler crane owned by Roman Servicios, before relocating the crane to its original quay position.

TRP engineering manager Eugenio Calcabrini said: "STS boom extensions are complex projects, demanding the highest levels of technical expertise and team work. Kalmar demonstrated their ability to handle such a complex project efficiently. Increasing operational throughput is critical to us. Raising the capacity of existing cranes, together with safely extending their working life, provides an excellent solution and return on the investment.“

"Being a manufacturer, Kalmar demonstrates an excellent understanding of the critical technical considerations and can therefore deliver a really effective solution in the minimum time frame. We are extremely satisfied with Kalmar's service.”
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The extended cranes go back into service

"This project was very critical for us, and we are happy that we were able to meet our customer's requirements," said Marcelo Massa, managing director of Cargotec Argentina. "Kalmar's strategic intent is to become a major global refurbishment and services provider. Success in this project demonstrates our capability to deliver upgrade, modernisation and refurbishment projects and engineering consultancy for customers."